Why Do We Give?

Several large ministries (aka churches) have been asked recently to open up their financial books to a Senate Oversight committee. The committee justifies this far-reaching request under the justification of evaluating tax-exempt laws for charitable organizations. They state that they need to stay current on trends in giving, spending, saving, etc… in order to legislate effectively both the laws governing charitable contributions and the laws governing tax-exempt status for organizations. Both of these governing issues are closely related, especially for a church!! By the way, what the Senate committee is investigating is vicariously NWBC. Of course, we are not directly implicated or under government scrutiny, but we are representatively under scrutiny by implication of findings related to these other larger high profile ministries/churches.

In the midst of sorting out all of the media blitz, I found myself wondering if the day isn’t coming quickly, when charitable contributions to a church will not qualify as a legitimate deduction for donors. This has long been the law in the US, but will it remain so? Just like you, I am grateful for the record of receipt allowing me to benefit from a nice tax deduction on my personal taxes. In the midst of rising fuel costs, slumping real estate markets, and a troubled recessionary economy, indeed, every bit helps!

The next natural extrapolation of my thinking drew my to ponder what the giving and income would look like at NWBC if no one was allowed to receive a tax benefit for their contributions. Would our profit/loss statement take a major hit?

Hopefully, we will never have to experience the answer to the above question. The motivation for our giving truly comes out when we are squeezed by the crucible of financial pressure. Do we give for a nice tax break? Do we give so that the church can meet its bills and obligations? Do we give because it makes us feel good about doing our part? Do we give because we others expect us to? All of these are logical reasons. None of these are right reasons. We are to give because we desire to worship God! There it is, a doxological approach to giving. We are to give so that God receives glory, even from  our finances!

I trust that if all of the tangible benefits of giving were legally removed from donors, our bottom line would not suffer. In fact, I wonder if it might not increase as we all reevaluate our hearts as we open up our checkbooks. After all, remember that we own nothing!!! We are simply managers of His funds. He has instructed us to give. In the OT that was by tithing (like a tax). In the NT, we give by God’s grace. Either way, it is about worshipping the God who owns everything. In conclusion, I must ask myself . . .

Why do I give?